United States vs. Panama | 2019 International Friendly Match Preview

A month after being named coach of the US men’s national team, Gregg Berhalter will make his anticipated debut in the first international friendly of 2019 against Panama Sunday (8 pm ET | ESPN2, UniMás, UDN) from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

It is the first of two friendlies during the team’s January camp with the USMNT taking on Concacaf rival Honduras on Feb. 2 from Avaya Stadium in San Jose. Matches against Ecuador and Chile follow in March.

“We’ve had a great two weeks in Chula Vista focusing on building team culture, style of play and competing every day,” Berhalter said. “The entire group has worked hard and brought an excellent mindset, and we thank them for the consistent effort thus far. We look forward to continuing to build on these ideas in Phoenix and measure our progress in the game against Panama.”

Panama Outlook

Gary Stempel is back in charge of Panama, at least in the interim basis, as Los Canaleros get set for their first international friendly of 2019. The Panamanian-English manager previously guided Panama in 2008 and 2009, in addition to coaching youth national and club teams in Panama.

Stempel has called a youthful 18-man roster together for the friendly, exclusively comprised of domestic-based players. Only seven players have previously suited up for Panama, including Abdiel Arroyo and former New York Red Bulls defender Fidel Escobar, who were part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.

History

The United States hold a 12-1-6 all-time advantage against Panama dating back to 1993. There were four consecutive 1-1 draws before the USMNT cruised to a 4-0 victory in World Cup qualifying on Oct. 6, 2017 in Orlando.

Players to Watch

United States — Jonathan Lewis: It’s unclear if Lewis will be in Berhalter’s first starting XI or if he’ll even come off the bench, but it will be interesting to see what the speedy New York City FC winger can do on the international stage. NYCFC fans have been shouting from the rooftops to get the 21-year-old more MLS playing time. He had a goal and three assists in 14 appearances (219 total minutes) for the Cityzens last year.

Panama — Fidel Escobar: At 24, Escobar represents the present and the future of the Panamanian national team. He’s also searching for a new club after the Red Bulls declined his loan option a month ago. No doubt the center back will be highly motivated to put in a shift that could earn him a new club. While rarely stepping on the field for New York, Escobar’s best play has been with Panama, including some impressive performances in the World Cup.